January

We've had a great start to our new year! This has been a cold snowy month, but we have been happily busy enjoying all the many activities we get to do together.

First off,

Look Who Turned One Last Week!!

Ridge has an infectious smile...

Is always happy...

And loves to play with all his siblings! We love our little man!

Our homeschool group in the area is really growing. We've added a few new activities this semester that are helping the kids social circle grow. There is a great group of kids in this area, and we've been getting them organized into some fun groups. Besides the cooking and science groups, we've got rock climbing, gymnastics, "show and shares", literacy bees, and field trips. Lindsey is also in a girls group called the Liberty Belles, where they read biographies of great women, and also participate in service projects and other activities together. These are the same girls she is climbing and cooking with, so they are really forming some great friendships.

The kids are using the "project" method of learning this semester. They are choosing a subject to study and research and compiling a research notebook to show all they have learned. Friday our group held a "Show and Share" where they are able to share what they have been learning with all the other students in the area.

Here Lindsey is giving her oral report on Florence Nightingale and Nursing.


Porter has been working on his Music Pin for the Cubs Scouts Academics and Sports Program. One of his requirements had him pick a composer of music he enjoyed and study him. He chose Rossini, who wrote William Tell (the galloping horsie song). So for his report, after he showed a picture of Rossini and told a bit about him, he played the song William Tell. While everyone listened to the song, he tried to see if he could do a head stand through the entire thing. It was cute!

Every other Friday the kids have rockclimbing or gymnastics class. They love it,especially because it's with all their friends.


Spencer is old enough they let him belay the other kids.




Another blessing: A man from our ward who is an artist offered to come to our home once a week and teach the kids (and me!) art lessons. It has been so fun to experiment with sketching and watercolors! My budding little artists are having a great time, and always have an assignment they have to complete for the next class.


For our field trip this month, we ate lunch at a local gourmet pizza place, and then we were able to go behind the scenes on a tour and see how it is all done! The kids really enjoyed seeing the big mixer, and huge walk in freezer, etc. Afterwards they all went ice skating, and had a grand ol time.

Some fun times, and I am so grateful they are having opportunities to make friends that they have so much in common with!

Happy New Year, and Happy Anniversary to us!

It's been 15 years of marriage...

Here is my deep pondering for the day. We spent our first summer being married living in the mountains of Montana in a tent, logging together...picking huckleberries to put in the morning pancakes, getting ready for my day as I watched the sun rise, washing hair in a freezing cold stream...being so grateful for a warm shower on the weekend at a friends house....Yes, those are actually some of the best memories, and, I think, a good way to spend the first months of a marriage together. While living up there I realized how little we really needed to be happy. A simple shelter, a warm fire, and some good food...mostly each other!! Those experiences of simplicity helped me form a perspective I have tried to keep in mind as we began raising a family.

So, here we are fifteen years and six kids later....

As we took a little getaway back to Montana last week, I was reminded of those simple pleasures that make life happy. We rented a forest service cabin out in the middle of nowhere. We had to ski all our stuff and kids in a 1/2 mile, so we were away from the road and civilization. No electricity, no running water, just us and the fluffy snow falling gently on the surrounding pines. (And an outhouse with a freezing cold toilet seat...do not sit down with a wet bum, or else!!) We were warm and cozy, and got to spend time together without any interruptions....Well, I guess my deep thought is...it doesn't matter the size of the house or the nifty things you acquire in life...what matters most is what happens inside that house and the love that is there. We had a fun 3 days, and I am so blessed to be surrounded by a great hubbster and 6 marvelous kids!

COZY TIMES.....